


Give Your Heart a Break

by thatonequeerwriter



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Anxiety, Cat Puns, F/M, Highschoolstuck, Humanstuck, Short Chapters, Swearing, based on a prompt, death mention, drug deals, karkats dad is in jail, mild violence, sadstuck kinda
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-01
Updated: 2014-08-29
Packaged: 2018-01-07 00:40:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1113437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatonequeerwriter/pseuds/thatonequeerwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Highschool sucks. Getting picked on constantly sucks even more. Karkat Vantas' life has never been anywhere near perfect. With his father's trial pending, he and his brother are left to fend for themselves in a new city. But could A certain sweet cat-girl melt this crab's bitter heart? In the Emerald City, anything is possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fresh Start

**Author's Note:**

> This was an anon request on tumblr. Questions, comments, reviews, suggestions, and requests are all appreciated!

"Karkat I know this place isn't perfect but we have to make due. Now that dads gone we can't live like before. If you expect to keep eating I'd deal with it." Kankri paused his talking to take a bite of the canned ravioli. 

"Why can't we just go back Portland? Why do we even have to fucking be here!? I hate it here! You hate it here! So why?" Tears welled up in his eyes. Karkat didn't want to be in this shitty apartment. He wanted to be back in Portland and he wanted to eat some of his dad's amazing home cooked food. "I want to go home..." 

Kankri walked around the small table that was too big for that cramped kitchen. He gave his little brother a hug. They'd only been on their own for a few months since their dad got arrested. "I know Karkat... I want to go home aswell. But we have something to prove here. We can prove that the Vantas' aren't some bull shit family that crumbles under pressure. We're not just going to survive, we're going to thrive dammit! I believe in us!" 

Karkat wiped his face on his sleeve and excused himself. He went downstairs into his room. He threw himself on the bed and sobbed into the pillow. He had taken the move especially hard. He just wanted go home... that's all he wanted... He must have fallen asleep because when he woke up, Kankri was practically laying on him. 

"Karkat! Karkat get up! I am not going to drive you to school late! It is your first day and first impressions are very important I'll have you know! Karkat? Karkat!" Kankri stood above Karkat's bedraggled figure, ranting incessantly. 

"Dammit Kankri! Stop fucking yelling and me! Get out of my room you dick!" Karkat flung the covers off, along with his older brother. Today was not the day for this. He looked at his alarm clock. Damn! It was only 5:30 in the morning! "I'll be down in a minute." Karkat said as his brother stalked out of the room. 

He got out of bed and grabbed his clothes. An oversized black turtle neck and some grey skinny jeans. He went to the bathroom and got a shower. 

He thought about his situation. It was his first day at a new school. He'd never had much luck at school before. Sure he was smart but he had troubles getting along with the other kids. At fifteen years old he stood only five foot one. He'd never really had many friends either. He was nervous, hell yeah, but he sure as fuck wouldn't let anyone realize that. 

He finished his shower, got dressed, and headed downstairs. He grabbed some cereal and wolfed it down. Despite his size, Karkat had an insatiable appetite. 

His hunger slaked, Karkat grabbed his raggedy old backpack and went out into their beater of a car. It was an ancient Chevy with holes rusted out of the floor. Kankri hopped in the drivers side and jammed the key into the ignition. After a second of breath-holding, the engine sputtered to life and backfired twice, then rolled jerkily down the street. 

Karkat reluctantly left the car and at the same time, all familiarity in this new city. They'd only come to Seattle the month before. Now he was having to start his sophomore year in an already established school. He glanced one more time at the car and Kankri gave two thumbs up. He headed in and was consumed by the crowd. 

He found an empty table in one corner of the crowded commons. Old friends reconciled and related various tales of the previous summer. Karkat looked at his schedule print-off. First period: math. Great, he sucked ass at math. Second period: English. Okay not too bad, he was a descent writer. Third was gym, fourth- Environmental science, fifth- Spanish one, and finally was drawing and painting, a class Karkat looked forward too extremely. He fancied himself a worthy artist. 

Karkat was lost in thought when he noticed someone sitting next to him. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw a girl. She was about his size and had an olive green trench coat and a blue hat. He looked at her and she smiled brightly. Her Cupid's bow mouth was painted black and her eyes were like that of a cat. 

"Hi! I noticed you were sitting by yourself. I haven't seen you around befur!" Karkat was taken aback by her outright kindness but didn't leave. The girl extended her hand, "Nepeta Leijon. And you are?" He hesitantly shook hands with her. 

"Karkat Vantas. Why the fuck are you talking to me?" Her smile didn't waved even with his less-than-friendly attitude. 

"You just looked lonely. Is it a crime to be furriendly?" She looked at him with an accusing smile. 

"Well, you don't have too." He also noticed something else. "Did you say fur-endly? Like fucking animal fur?" He found the puns extremely weird. 

"Uhh yeah? You said furrick like two or three times." He noticed her reluctance to cuss and noted it for later. 

"Hm. While it's been a real God damned picnic, I have to get to class." With that he grabbed his pack and started to get going. But he felt a tight on his sleeve. He turned to see the girl. "What the fuck?" She grabbed her bag as well. 

"I couldn't help but see your schedule. We have the same classes together I believe." She straightened her hat and looked at him expectantly. 

"So what's your point?" Karkat was growing impatient with this weird cat-girl. He started walking away and she followed. 

"My point is that I could walk with you and make sure you find all your classes alright. None of my furiends have any classes near mine. Not even Equihiss!" 

They walked through the crowds in silence and Karkat tried to pretend that the girl wasn't there. He had a feeling that he was lowering his chances of being accepted by being seen with her, based on the looks of the other kids he passed. But he did like feeling like he had someone to talk to. Even if she was a weirdo.


	2. Here it goes again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Highschool is off to a shitty start. People can be so mean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god I'm sorry this took so damn long! I've been trying/wanting to write something new but my writers block is just being such a bitch!

The cat-girl Nepeta really did have every class with Karkat. She sat next to him whenever possible. It was weird but she at least kept quiet and didn't try to talk to him all the time.

After science they went to lunch. Karkat didn't really feel like eating but he waited in line with Nepeta. They went and sat down together at the lunch table the farthest from the epicenter of sweaty teenagers. 

"So how are you liking high school so fur, Karkat?" He still grimaced at the cat-pun. If they were going to be friends that would take some getting used too. 

"Eh, it's not that bad. But it's not all that fucking great either." He grabbed a piece of lined paper and sketched out a random person who he'd seen in his math class. He had dyed a streak of his hair purple and had very hipster-esque glasses. Nepeta looked over and gasped. 

"It's Eridan Ampurra! Karcat that's soooooo good! Eridan usually sits here, you have to show it to him!" She bounced up and down with excitement. 

"No! It's not that good. I just wanted to work on hair styles... it's nothing! Give it back" He tried to take the paper away but Nepeta snatched it back. She held it out of his reach and giggled. 

"Give it back you crazy bitch!" Nepeta looked surprised but then she looked down. He grabbed the paper from her and then got his notebook. She was mumbling an apology when he stalked off. 

He went and sat in an empty hall by his next class. Why did this have to be so difficult. Couldn't he just be like everyone else? He put his head down and sighed. Karkat sat there until the bell rang and when it did, he took his time standing up and slinking to his next class. 

It was fourth period, gym. Fuck. He sat down on some bleachers and as the coach took roll he handed out syllabuses. Karkat sat second to last in line. Next to him was probably the biggest kid Karkat had ever seen. He was at least 6' 4" and looked like a professional body builder. He was in a black tank top and shorts. His shoes were bigger than Karkat's arm. He scooted to the left until he was almost touching the next kid in line. 

"Vantas" the coach passed Karkat and handed him a paper. "Zahhak" he handed the huge kid a paper. Then he backed up and took up the official teacher stance. "Alright kid-os', welcome to gym-10. Here we focus on conditioning and showing youngsters like you how to live active lifestyles." He paced when he talked and it made Karkat's head hurt. He had ADD in full force and he was vaguely aware of his focus slipping away. He looked at the other kids. 

The cat-girl was chilling in one corner with the buff guy. There was a boy with a Mohawk holding hands with some other girl who had an eye patch on. This school is weird. 

He stated zoned out like this for the remainder of class. When the teacher dismissed them to go to the next class Karkat shook his head and stood up. He tried to steer clear of the cat girl and the big guy. He didn't want what happened at his last school to happen here. 

On his way to environmental science, Karkat dropped one of his papers. It was that picture he'd been drawing. It danced down the hallway until it was stopped by a foot. The kid who'd stepped on it picked it up and studied it. Karkat kept his head down and muttered some apology and reached out for the paper. But the hand snatched back. Karkat looked up And saw none other than eyepatch girl. Her mohawked boyfriend was in tow. 

"Well look who we have here! It's the new kid!" She smiled malevolently. "Is this your shitty drawing, new kid?" She bent down and stuck her face right in his. "I bet you want it back, dont'cha?" Karkat reached again to grab the paper but she held it above her head. Karkats face got red and he balled up his fists. He wasn't about to get fucked with by a girl with a god damned eye patch. 

"Could I please have my paper back? I need to get to class and... so do you." He gritted his teeth and stared up at her. 

"Why would I want to give back such a _lovely _drawing?" She smirked and shoved Karkat back. Then the Mohawk kid spoke up.__

"Vriska were gonna be late, just give it back to him." He was quiet and pleading. 

"Shut up Tavros. No one cares what you have to say." He shrank back again and have Karkat an apologetic look. Karkat having recovered from his initial shock, tried not to get angry. This wasn't a new thing to him but it always seemed to get his blood pressure up. 

"Okay, listen, you know what? Just fucking forget about it. It's not important." Then Karkat tried to go around Vriska but she put a hand on his chest and knocked his books and binders to the ground. She crouched and picked up a few more drawings. She looked at them with distaste before tearing them to shreds. 

"Oh no no no! Were just getting started! I was having a lot of fun! Why don't you stick around a while?" She laughed crazily. Then she grabbed Karkat and slammed him against the wall. She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Listen you little shit, this is my school, you hear? And I'm not gonna let some kid come in and fuck up the whole system, okay?" Karkat tried to wriggle away but the girl held him right. The boy, Tavros, looked to be near tears. 

The halls had almost emptied out and the tardy bell would be ringing any minute now. Karkat took a deep breath. He couldn't have a panic attack on the first day of school. 

"I don't even know what you're talking about. I'm no threat to you!" He really was confused now. She tightens her grip on his collar. Where the fuck were the school staff? 

"Don't think I don't know all about you, Karkat Vantas. Your dad ruined my mom's business. And you know exactly what I mean." She slammed against the lockers again for emphasis. "I know you better than you think I do. Don't forget that, you little rat." 

"My dad was a pastor... you psycho...bitch" it was getting harder for him to breath. His heart was racing and his vision was narrowing. He didn't want talk about his family history with a crazy pirate girl he'd just been fucking assaulted by. The girl cackled again. 

"Wow, aren't you a wet match in a dark cave. I would've thought that the second son of the great "Signless" would be a little bit smarter. I guess... I can let you go. But I swear if you try to pull any shit..... just don't. I wouldn't want to end up like your father if I were you." And with that she threw Karkat down, grabbed her boyfriend and sauntered off to get to class. 

Karkat laid on the ground for a while and tried to get his breathing under control. When his gasping turned to panting he stood up. The bell had rang fifteen minutes ago. He didn't want to do anything. He just wanted to lay back down. He felt like he was going to puke. Karkat went and sat down in the commons. There was nobody there. 

He was just starting to put his binder back together when he heard footsteps. Great, he'd have to go back to class now. The small-sounding footsteps got closer and then came around the corner. 

"Karcat! Oh I have been looking efurywhere fur you!" It was Nepeta. Oh god. What did she want. "You weren't in Spanish clawss and I was wondering where you went!" She sat down across from him. He just looked down and stayed silent. She noticed and furrowed her eyebrows. "Karcat, what's wrong?" Karkats breath hitched and he started to get upset again. 

"What's wrong? What's wrong?! This school sucks ass! It's no different than any of the other schools I've been too. The classes suck the people suck. It's fucking hell! I can't just have a normal high school experience and it's not even my fault. It's all because of my stupid fucking father..." Tears pooled in the corners of his eyes but he willed them not to fall. He wasn't going to cry in front of the cat-girl. Not in front of anyone. 

"Karcat... it's okay. I know what you mean. High school can be furry stressful..." She was probably going to launch into some sappy bullshit about power and overcoming problems when Karkat put a hand up. 

"Listen, Nepeta. Thanks but no thanks. I've heard it. I've tried it. It doesn't work." His voice was hoarse, "As much as I appreciate you're attempt at helping me, you need to get back to class." Nepeta sighed and a walked around to Karkat's side of the table. She gave him a quick hug around the shoulders and walked off. 

After a while, Karkat decided to go to the nurse. She told him that he could go home if he wanted to. He said he would, he couldn't even focus anymore. He knew that Kankri would come from work and pick him up. He went to the office and used the phone there. He picked up after the second ring. 

"Hello this is Kankri Vantas spe-" Karkat cut him off. 

"I need you to pick me up. I'm not feeling well." 

"Karkat, you've only got an hour of school left. Can't you wait?" Karkat rolled his eyes. 

"No. I can't. I feel like shit. Can you please pick me up? I'm only like ten minutes away from you. You can go back to the office and I'll sit in the waiting room until you get off." He hated sitting in that stupid building but if it meant he could take a nap or draw or do anything but be at school, he'd do it. He heard Kankri sigh. 

"Be in the office with your things in fifteen minutes and I'll pick you up. But you better be very ill or so help me I will take you straight back to school." Karkat celebrated the small victory. 

"Thanks Kankri. I'll see you then." And then after a breath he added "I love you." 

"I love you too, Karkat. I'll see you then, I hope you feel better." Then Karkat put the phone back on the receiver and waited in the office. He wished it didn't all have to be so damn hard.


	3. Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat has had a really rough life.

Riding shotgun in that ugly ass Chevy almost made everything better. The radio was playing some shitty pop music and Kankri was drumming absentmindedly on the steering wheel.

"So Karkat, what's the matter?" Kankri asked with calm concern. 

"I... I just had some problems with some bitch at school.." Kankri looked at him disapprovingly.

"Karkat don't say that about people. And who was it that was bothering you?" 

"I don't know, Serket something... Kankri?" This question had been burning him since his encounter with Vriska. 

"Yes Karkat?" Kankri looked at him while they sat at a stop light. 

"What happened with Dad? Why did he go to jail?" He sounded way smaller than he'd intended. 

"Karkat we've been over this. Dad was at the wrong place at the wrong time. They took him into custody because they thought he did something bad." Karkat let out a frustrated sigh and tried to recollect himself but failed. 

"Vriska Serket said that Dad was a real drug dealer Kankri please tell me that isn't true!" He balled up in the passenger seat and counted the number of times he heard Kankri begin and then start over. 

"Well- I just- Karkat.... Karkat listen I have to go to work and finish the day. You're going to sit in the waiting room like a good kid and we can talk about this later, alright?" Karkat wasn't happy. 

"But I want to know now dammit!" He whined. 

"That tone of voice will get you nowhere young man." Kankri said sternly. He parked the car in front of his building and took the keys out. He rubbed his temples, "Karkat there are a lot of things that you can't understand at thirteen years old. Please let's just talk about this later." 

"Okay Kankri..." Karkat buried his chin in the neck of his sweater and scowled. When he got out Kankri hugged him and he felt a little bit better. 

In the waiting room Karkat found a pad of sticky notes and began to draw on them. He liked feeling like he was in control of what he was doing. The time ticked by at a fairly steady pace and finally it was time for Kankri to clock out. 

They walked out to the car and Karkat looked at his brother expectantly. 

"What ever could be the matter Karkat?" Karkat continued staring a hole into Kankri, finally he sighed. "Karkat when we get home I'll tell you okay?" Karkat switched his gaze wordlessly to the road in front if them as Kankri put the car in gear and drove towards home. 

When they got home, they went about the usual routine. They both made dinner and sat down and ate at the table in silence. After dinner, Kankri did the dishes and Karkat went to watch TV. He found his favorite movie, Hitch, on demand and watched it. By now he'd completely forgotten about his father and kankri's promise. 

After the movie was over, Karkat went to take a shower (yes he showered twice daily, he wasn't some disgusting fuck). He hoped to wipe the day away with the hot shower but it still bothered him. Then he remembered the pirate girl and what she said and suddenly he was alive again. 

He finished his shower and got dressed as quickly as possible and rushed downstairs to his room to get everything ready for bed, then he ran back ups stair only to stop at the top when he heard Kankri on the phone. 

"Dad, I think one of the Serket kids is bothering Karkat.... Yes when you said they were in Seattle you didn't say they had kids his age who would go to the same school as him! .... Yes Dad I know we should've told him earlier. However, I never wanted to move in the first place.... Well he's going to find out sooner or later.... I know, okay? I know I'm going to have to tell him..." He continued on like this for another ten minutes or so and Karkat listened attentively. What were they talking about? 

"Okay Dad, please stay strong for Karkat and I, God bless.... Yes I love you too.... Goodnight" he got off the phone and put his head on his hands. He mumbled something and then looked up. "Karkat Vantas you come out from behind that wall this instant." He wasn't mad, or even that insistent. He just sounded tired. Karkat did as he was told. 

"Kankri, who the fuck was that?" Karkat sat across from him at the table. 

"Karkat you were there the whole time you know very well who it was." Karkat looked down. 

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping, Kankri..." He mumbled. Kankri just looked at him with tired eyes. He hadn't been sleeping well since the move. Neither if them had been the same. They were fully unpacked but they still felt like strangers. 

"It's okay Karkat, I would've too..." That was a lie but Karkat took the backhanded acceptance. "Listen, I think you deserve to know what's going on and it's high time I tell you." Suddenly Karkat felt scared he didn't want to know because he knew it would be bad. He felt weighted and exhausted. He looked at Kankri. 

"Can it wait until tomorrow? I'm so fucking tired." Kankri looked immensely relieved. 

"Sure thing, Karkat." He looked at the clock. It was only 9:30 but it could've been three am for all they cared. They both got up together. Kankri walked Karkat to bed and then to his own room across the hall. They said their prayers together for the first time since their dad had left and fell asleep almost instantly afterwards. 

Karkat had a dream that they were back in the old apartment, but it was different. The house was more orderly and it was brighter. He smelled dinner cooking and figured that his dad must've been home. He wandered upstairs from his room and sitting on the couch were Kankri, his father and.... his mother. 

Karkat gasped and ran over. He could almost smell the powdered sugar from the cookies baking in the oven as he tried to hug her before the scene dissolved. 

It was 11:49 at night, he still remembered that time by heart. 

It was pouring down rain. There were lights all around him. He broke away from his fathers grip and threw himself at the door of his mothers sedan. 

It was wrapped around an old tree. 

The drivers side window was busted out and he could see her sitting there, limp. 

Her neck had obviously been broken on impact but he still screamed at her. He shouted for her to get up, she had work tomorrow. He had a soccer game, they were out of milk- anything to get her to wake up. He reached through the broken glass and grabbed her hand which was still warm. 

Kankri had to drag him away from the car so that the EMTs could pull her out. 

He was eight years old when his mother lost control of her car when she had stormed off after a fight with his father. 

He woke up sobbing uncontrollably. The hallway light was on and Kankri was already there. He was crying too. Had Karkat been talking in his sleep? This wasn't the first time he'd had this dream. 

Kankri wrapped Karkat in his arms and they sat that way until Karkat's sobs turned into long, sleepy breaths and Kankri laid his brother back down, pulled the covers over him, and went back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry!!!! Not just for being gone for so long but for this chapter too. I realize now that I am a horrible person.


	4. Under the Weather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat's sick and a certain someone came to cheer him up.

Both Karkat and Kankri forgot about the question that needed to be answered in the coming weeks. Karkat continued to plod along in his classes, avoiding the pirate bitch whenever possible. School just never really held his interest. He mostly just doodled and turned in his homework.

He hadn't really talked to Nepeta in a while either, he felt kind of bad but not really at the same time. People should know by now that it's better just not to talk to him. He didn't used to be such a dickwad. He just wasn't really feeling the whole nice thing these last few years. Really after his mom died actually and life just turned to shit.

As winter approached, it began to get colder and colder and eventually Karkat caught a bug. He had to stay home for a week. It was kind of nice not to have to see any of the fucktards at his school for a while, but he did like having decent grades and started to get worried after the first few days. 

After he'd been gone for a whole school week, he started to feel uncomfortable. What if he failed his classes and couldn't graduate? He promised his dad when he was younger that he'd graduate. Shit, shit, shit.

That Saturday he was awoken by a doorbell. Kankri had already left for work. Fucking Christ it was 11:30 already.

Karkat wrapped a blanket around his shoulders, the bags under his eyes as prominent as ever. He looked even paler than usual. 

He shuffled upstairs and over to the door, shouting as another bell sounded and split his skull open. 

"I'm fucking coming! Jesus tap-dancing Christ shut the fuck up!" He finally reached the door and he opened it up, squinting through the near-noon brightness, looking at a familiar, cheery face. 

"Hi Karkat! I brought your-" _no _Karkat slammed the door and was just beginning to shuffle back downstairs when the bell rang again. And again and again. Karkat dropped his blanket and threw the door open.__

"What?! What the fuck could you possibly want from me? How the hell do you know where I live?" He panted a bit from the outburst and looked at Nepeta on his doorstep. She was in a magenta hoodie and black jeans. Her blue beanie was pulled nearly to her eyes which filled with regret and defeat as her smile faded.

"I just wanted to bring you your homework and ask if you were okay." She threw an overflowing folder on the ground and turned to leave. Karkat felt like a dick, as per usual. 

"Nepeta wait, I- fuck." He bent down and tried to pick up the folder. The papers went flying everywhere as he dropped it back on the doormat. Nepeta kept on walking, turning right at the end of the driveway. "Shit, real fucking smooth, Vantas." Karkat muttered. He sat down on his knees and started to collect up all the papers, arranging them into the proper order. Nepeta had organized them by date _and _class. "Yeah. Really. Fucking. Smooth."__

Karkat stood back up and turned to go back inside. He stepped across the threshold but he paused. He heard quick footsteps and turned back around. Nepeta was running back towards him. She leaped up all three of the steps with incredible agility and stopped inches from Karkat.

"I forgot one, sorry." She looked down at her feet and handed him the last paper. Some math worksheet or something. Karkat took it and looked at her. He shivered. Fuck it was cold. She looked cold too.

"I'm sorry Nepeta. I uh, I'm sick and I feel like shit. Do you want to come inside or anything? It's cold as fuck out here." She looked up with bright eyes. 

"Would that be okay?" She stepped a bit closer and smiled again. He could feel her breath and see the steam coming out of her mouth. He turned around. 

"Yeah come on." With that he walked inside, allowing her to follow. He shut the door and opened some blinds. He showed her around the corner to the living room. "You can sit here." He pointed to the couch. He walked back to the hall by the door and picked up his blanket. It was red with little black crabs on it. It matched his pajama pants.

He walked back to the living room. Nepeta was still standing and examining some old family photographs on the end table. He walked over and pointed matter-of-factly. "That's me, my brother, Kankri, my dad, and my mom." He swallowed hard. "How the fuck do you know where I live anyway?" She sat down on the couch stiffly and looked at him, 

"My best furriend, Equihiss lives next door to you." Karkat frowned at those ridiculous puns. 

"You mean that body builder from gym class?" Karkat remembered him all to well. You only need to take one rubber ball to the gut to remember that guy forever. 

"Yes, that guy. He lives on the right side of you." She remained silent for a while, so Karkat asked another question.

"Why'd you bring me my homework? I've just been a fucking asshole to you since I met you." He looked at her and she thought for a second. 

"I just thought it would be a nice thing to do fur you." She looked down again. She seemed really uncomfortable all of a sudden. Karkat realized that they were just sitting there staring at eachother. 

"Well uh thanks, I guess. Do you want something to eat or drink or something? I mean you don't have to stay. Sorry." He stumbled over a few more words before he just shut up. She shifted in her place a bit and just fidgeted, but she still smiled. 

"Well I told Meowlin that I was going ofur to a furriends house so I guess I could stay fur a while. Do you have any milk?" Karkat thought for a second and remembered that they did indeed have milk. 

"Yeah, I'll be right back." He went to the kitchen and got a glass of milk for Nepeta and some orange juice for himself. He handed her the glass and she lapped at it, giggling too. Wow this girl was fucking weird. He remembered that he had a guest over without permission and went to the phone in the kitchen. He dialed Kankri's number and he picked up.

"This is Kankri Vantas speak-" 

"Fuck do you really have to do that every time, Kankri?" He rolled his eyes. 

"Oh well if if isn't my bundle of Joy little brother. I'll have you know that it's quite professional to answer the phone in this manner. Perhaps you could learn some-" 

"Shut the fuck up, Kankri. I was wondering if I could have a friend over. Well actually, I have a friend over. She came over to give me my homework from this past week."

" _She _? Karkat you have a girl over? Why didn't you call me sooner? I'm coming home right now don't you dare-"__

"Kankri just fucking stop holy shit!" Karkat took a deep breath, "She's just a friend, my God. I just wanted to tell you there was someone else here so you didn't lose your shit."

"Well... I guess you may have a friend over. But you better be on your best behavior and be nice. Don't breath on her and get her sick! Please be careful if you use the microwave! I'll be home in a-" 

"Bye Kankri." Karkat hung up the phone and walked back out to the living room. He sat on the couch opposite Nepeta. She was looking at a picture of his mom. Karkat looked away from the photograph. He felt a familiar sting in his throat.

_Dammit it's been what, seven years? Get over yourself, Vantas._

He realized he was being stared at. He returned his face to his usual, scowl and looked over at Nepeta. "So did you want to like, do anything? We've got food, movies, whatever. I don't exactly know what to do with company." 

"Oh, a meowvie sounds nice. What do you have?" Karkat went through the list; mostly rom coms and shit but they had one documentary about big cats which had Nepeta dancing out of her seat so he put that on.

Karkat popped some popcorn and sat down next to Nepeta on the couch. She seemed thoroughly engrossed in the movie, Karkat in the other hand was thoroughly engrossed in the popcorn. He tried not to speed eyes, as was his custom, and managed to make the bowl last the whole documentary. 

At the end, Karkat decided that he'd make some lunch. They had sandwiches. Meat and cheese for Nepeta, peanut butter for himself. He looked over the homework packet while they made small talk. He didn't really understand the Algebra 2 notes, and he asked her to translate for him.

"Well it's like this..." For the next hour or so, she sat next to him and told him all about what he'd missed, and explaining the lessons. Though the breakdown was riddled with cat puns and blanks, he felt more confident than he had before.

At around three o'clock Nepeta went over to Equius' to get a ride home. Karkat saw her to the door, still blanket-clad. He said goodbye and she wished him better health and said she hoped to see him Monday. 

After that Karkat laid on the couch for a while, thinking. He though about his mom and dad, about school, about Nepeta. He just couldn't quite get her angle. No one had ever been so nice to him. 

He dozed off for a while and when he woke up, Kankri was putting dinner together. 

"Hey sleepy-head. Were having crab for dinner." Karkat gasped. 

"No! What the fuck? No I'm not eating it!" Kankri started laughing.

"Hahah I'm only kidding, Karkat. We're having cheese tortellini." Fuck! Why did Kankri always do that?

"Don't fuck with me like that! You know I like crabs, okay? Damn it." Karkat grumped over to the table and helped set it. They sat down and Kankri held his hands out. Karkat grabbed his and Kankri said grace.

"Dear God, thank you for this day. Thank you for this meal; let it nourish and strengthen our bodies and our minds. Please help us to be better people, and be kind to each other and love one another as you love us, and let us forgive others as you forgive us. Help us dedicate our lives to living our best in your image and making everyday better than the last. In Jesus' name we pray, amen." Then Karkat echoed-

"Amen" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys this is off to a slow start. I've been reading a lot of really other CUTE katnep AUs and I just don't know what to do ^^'


End file.
